Fuel economy additive

ABSTRACT

A fuel additive to significantly improve fuel economy of internal combustion engines, a process of making the additive ( 10 ) and a process of using the additive ( 20 ). The fuel additive is aspirin dissolved in a carrier fluid that is miscible in gasoline or diesel fuel. The process of making involves a step of mixing aspirin with a carrier fluid, which dissolves the aspirin and which is thereafter miscible in gasoline or diesel fuel. A preferred carrier fluid is ethyl alcohol. The process of using involves a step of adding that mixture to the fuel serving the internal combustion engine.

FIELD OF INVENTION

In the field of internal combustion engines, a fuel additive to significantly improve fuel economy of internal combustion engines, a process of making the additive and a process of using the additive.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The fuel additive is acetyl salicylic acid in the form of aspirin dissolved in a small amount of carrier fluid (about an ounce of liquid alcohol for many concentrations). It was tested in a vehicle with an internal combustion gasoline engine and delivered an actual improvement in miles per gallon of about 25 percent.

The process making the additive involves a step of mixing aspirin with a carrier fluid, which dissolves the aspirin and which is thereafter miscible in gasoline or diesel fuel. A preferred carrier fluid is liquid ethyl alcohol. The process of using the additive involves a step of adding that mixture to the fuel serving the internal combustion engine. The volume of carrier fluid must be sufficient to dissolve the aspirin, but otherwise the actual volume used is generally unimportant as it is intended as a carrier for the aspirin and a means for dissolving the additive in the fuel.

This additive, the method of making it, and the method of using it constitute a surprising, unexpected and previously unknown use of a well-known commodity, aspirin, in conjunction with internal combustion engine fuel, such as gasoline or diesel fuel.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Conservation via increased fuel economy has important economic, environmental, national security, and energy security consequences. It can be important to individuals seeking to reduce costs of transportation, and even incremental improvements in fuel economy can cumulatively improve the national economy by lowering the transportation cost component in the final price of products and lowering the trade deficit through lower imported oil purchases. This is evident in that sixty percent of all crude oil is used to make transportation fuels, which are predominantly gasoline and diesel fuels. Since motor vehicle ownership is increasing throughout the world, the trend is toward accelerating demand for oil-based transportation fuels. The usefulness and import of the present invention is to immediately provide a potential to increase vehicle fuel economy by up to about 25%.

Aspirin is known chemically as acetyl salicylic acid in the family of salicylates. It has a chemical formula of C₉H₈O₄. Aspirin is well known as a medicine, that is namely, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Aspirin is used for the treatment of inflammation and pain that results from many forms of arthritis as well as soft tissue injuries. Aspirin is used for rapid relief of mild to moderate pain and fever, to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke and to prevent heart attack. It is not known as a gasoline or diesel fuel additive to promote fuel economy.

Some salts of salicylic acid, namely metal salicylates, are known for use as gasoline and lubricant additives, as dispersants or detergents and to prevent spark plug fouling, engine wear and oxidation. While different from aspirin in chemical formula and by the presence of metals, none of the salicylates described in the prior art has been disclosed to promote fuel economy.

Representative of this prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,800 to Yoshida on May 17, 1988, which discloses gasoline compositions for use in automotive vehicles. A selected gasoline fraction is combined with a specified amount of a selected alkali earth metal salt to help prevent spark plug fouling. Use of alcohol as a solvent is also disclosed. This patent discloses that detergents, anti-wear and antioxidants constitute a major class of lubricant additives, which find application in engine lubricants especially for internal combustion gasoline and diesel engines. Among the conventionally used detergents in lubricating oil additives are metallic sulfonates, phenates and salicylates. The '800 patent discloses the use of earth metal salts in the form of salicylates and not the use of acetyl salicylic acid. It is different also in purpose and function of the salicylates, that is namely, to help prevent spark plug fouling. There is no disclosure or suggestion for adding either salicylates or acetyl salicylic acid to promote fuel economy.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,822 to Hunt on May 12, 1987 discloses a copper and salicylate lubricating oil composition to improve high speed, high temperature operation of gasoline and diesel engines. This patent teaches the use of salicylate not as a fuel economy additive, but as a detergent. Further, it does not disclose or suggest the use of acetyl salicylic acid.

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are to promote individual transportation cost savings, to contribute to national economic growth, to reduce environmental pollution from transportation, and to aid national and energy security by reducing dependence on imported oil.

It is therefore apparent that a need exists for a new process using aspirin to achieve a significant improvement in fuel economy in gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicles employing internal combustion engines.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A fuel additive to significantly improve fuel economy of internal combustion engines, a process of making the additive and a process of using the additive. The fuel additive is acetyl salicylic acid in the form of aspirin dissolved in a carrier fluid that is miscible in gasoline or diesel fuel. The process of making involves a step of mixing aspirin with a carrier fluid, which dissolves the aspirin and which is thereafter miscible in gasoline or diesel fuel. A preferred carrier fluid is ethyl alcohol. The process of using involves a step of adding that mixture to the fuel serving the internal combustion engine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing is a block diagram of the process of making and the process of using the additive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The fuel economy additive is acetyl salicylic acid in the form of aspirin dissolved in a carrier fluid, typically ethyl alcohol, which is miscible in a fuel, typically gasoline or diesel fuel, for internal combustion engines. The process of making the additive is shown in the first box (10) of drawing, which includes dissolving the aspirin in the carrier fluid. The second box (20) is the process of using the additive, which includes adding the dissolved aspirin and carrier fluid to the fuel serving the internal combustion engine.

The aspirin is acetyl salicylic acid of the type commonly sold over the counter in drug stores in tablet form. No specific purity or form of aspirin is required, which greatly increases the ease with which the process may be practiced.

The carrier fluid must be able to dissolve the aspirin and also be dissolved in the fuel. In the preferred embodiment, this carrier fluid is liquid ethyl alcohol, which is also known as ethanol or grain alcohol. It is often referred to simply as alcohol.

Experiments were conducted over a period of two years on the processes of making and using the additive. Ordinary aspirin tablets were dissolved in about an ounce of alcohol. This minimal amount of alcohol was sufficient to dissolve the aspirin for a full tank of gasoline in the test vehicle.

Varying concentrations of aspirin were tested and there was fuel economy improvement in all the concentrations tested, suggesting that whatever concentration is used short of the point when the fuel cannot dissolve the additive, some improvement will likely be possible. Testing result conclusions on the concentration of additive delivering the best performance are also considered to be rough approximations and should not be considered the final word. Actual results in a particular application are expected to vary depending upon the engine duty cycle experienced in normal driving conditions, the chemical composition of fuel and the ambient conditions for operation of the engine.

The amount of aspirin that maximized fuel economy and delivered about 25 to 27 percent improvement in miles per gallon, equated to dissolving six aspirin tablets weighing 325 milligrams each in about an ounce of alcohol, which was then added to a 12.7-gallon fuel tank in the test vehicle. This indicates that about 154 milligrams of aspirin was needed for each gallon of gasoline in the fuel tank to deliver the maximum fuel economy improvement.

The density of gasoline is about 2.7 kg/gallon. Since a 12.7-gallon fuel tank was involved in the testing, the total weight of gasoline in a full tank was about 34.3 kg. Since 6 tablets each with a weight of 0.325 grams were used, this correlates to 0.00195 kg of aspirin added to the tank. Therefore, the percentage of aspirin delivering the maximum fuel economy improvement in these tests was 0.00195/34.3=0.0057%.

It is also noteworthy that the testing showed that the use of the additive in a single tank full of gasoline provided a residual improvement in fuel economy even after 3 to 4 tank refillings with untreated gasoline. It is estimated that upon the first such refilling about 3 gallons of treated gasoline was present in the tank. Use of the additive, therefore, creates an extended benefit to the user in improved fuel economy beyond the first use of the additive.

Although the description above contains many uses, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention is determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. 

1. A fuel additive to improve fuel economy of internal combustion engines comprising aspirin; and, a carrier fluid capable of dissolving the aspirin and being dissolved in the fuel.
 2. The fuel additive of claim 1 wherein the carrier fluid is ethyl alcohol.
 3. The fuel additive of claim 2 wherein about 154 milligrams of aspirin is dissolved in said ethyl alcohol for each gallon of fuel.
 4. A process for using the fuel additive of claim 3 comprising the step of adding the additive to the fuel serving the internal combustion engine.
 5. A process of making the fuel additive of claim 3 comprising the step of dissolving the aspirin in the carrier fluid.
 6. A process for using the fuel additive of claim 2 comprising the step of adding the additive to the fuel serving the internal combustion engine.
 7. A process of making the fuel additive of claim 2 comprising the step of dissolving the aspirin in the carrier fluid.
 8. A process for using the fuel additive of claim 1 comprising the step of adding the additive to the fuel serving the internal combustion engine.
 9. A process of making the fuel additive of claim 1 comprising the step of dissolving the aspirin in the carrier fluid. 